We hope you all had a great return to school this week! We certainly enjoyed welcoming back so many of you. :)
Here is what your future scientists were up to last week…
EVERYDAY
MYSTERIES
Why does a fizzy drink explode into a sticky mess when shaken and opened? Last week, we tackled this bubbling mystery by uncovering what makes drinks fizzy in the first place! By forcing carbon dioxide into water under high pressure, we created a delicate balance in which the gas remains dissolved until that balance is disturbed. When shaken, tiny bubbles form throughout the liquid, creating countless nucleation sites where gas can escape. Twist off the cap, and with the sudden pressure drop, the gas rushes out all at once! From sparkling water to the classic Coke and Mentos reaction, our scientists unleashed fountains of fizz and discovered that sometimes, the key to avoiding a mess is simply patience- giving those bubbles time to settle back down.
A FANTASTIC
VOYAGE WITHIN
There is only one real way into the body: through the digestive system. Last week, our explorers followed the journey of food from mouth to… well, the very end. Starting with teeth that cut and grind, we discovered how digestion begins as a mechanical process, turning food into a manageable paste with the help of saliva. Then, muscles take over, squeezing food along the alimentary canal in a wave-like motion called peristalsis. Inside the stomach, enzymes & acid continue the breakdown, before a long trip through the intestines, where nutrients are absorbed, and the leftovers are prepared for exit. By transforming bread into “fake poo,” our scientists recreated this entire journey, discovering that digestion is less about what goes in and more about what the body chooses to keep.
CHEMISTRY IN
PLAIN SIGHT
Oil and water may famously refuse to mix, but last week our chemists discovered that chemistry has ways around such stubbornness. By exploring emulsions, we uncovered how substances that normally separate can be persuaded to combine into smooth, stable mixtures. Heating milk and adding vinegar revealed that milk is far more than a simple liquid! It is a carefully balanced emulsion of water, fats, and proteins. With soap and colourful milk, we watched these hidden fats scatter and swirl as surface tension broke apart before our eyes. Finally, by making ice cream, our scientists saw how the same chemistry gives frozen treats their smooth and creamy texture. From milk to mayonnaise to ice cream, emulsions are all around us- hiding chemistry in plain sight!
